Four Men Arrested On Suspicion Of Sabotaging West Bank Bedouin Water Supply

The police announced on Thursday it had arrested four Israelis on suspicion they had sabotaged the water supply to a cluster of Bedouin settlement in Khan al-Ahmar, east of Jerusalem.

The four were arrested in Sunday night close to the place where the sabotage had taken place, after the Bedouins called the police.

The Police Judea and Samaria District said that the suspects were released under restrictions and their file was transferred to the State Attorney's Office.

Approximately 100 Bedouins are dependent on the pipeline for their water supply since was laid down in 1983. Id Abu Hamis, a resident of the area, told Haaretz that this hasn't been the first incident of sabotage the water supply to the area suffered in recent times. During May, saboteurs sabotaged the pipeline five times, forcing them to hire guards.

On Sunday night, Abu Hamis recounted the last case of sabotage, a silver Nissan jeep appeared. Three armed men got out carrying saws and large wire cutters. The two guards were afraid to approach the armed persons and opted to call the police.

By the time, the police arrived the suspects had left the scene. They were caught near the Mishor Adumim junction.

While the water supply was down the residents were forced to use donkeys and tractors to bring in water from a nearby industrial zone.

The pipeline was only repaired on Tuesday, after the residents bought new parts funded by UNRWA and installed by Mekorot, Israel's national water company.